The Start of Something New
by emjac
Summary: Emma returns to the Hamptons after her first year of college, and something is different. She needs her family to help put her past behind her.
1. Chapter 1

Dr. Hank Lawson pulled into the driveway of his upscale cottage after yet another failed attempt at a date. If there hadn't been so many previous failures, he probably would have been upset. But a smile held on his lips as he recounted the rather comical evening spent with the town's newest yoga instructor. She was quite attractive and fairly intelligent, but a little too much of a tree hugger for his liking. One of these days the woman of his dreams would pop into his life. He was confident of that. In the meantime, he would enjoy the yoga instructors of the world.

Lost in his thoughts, he parked and ambled his way towards the house, when he noticed the red Saab convertible amongst the fleet of cars. His smile widened. Emma was home. Almost as quickly as the joy appeared, the worry joined it. This was earlier than her expected summer arrival. Big brother mode took over and he quickened his pace and entered the house.

The flat screen was showing a nineties chick flick with the sound off in the dimly lit room, but his sister was not visible. Peering over the couches he spotted her curled up and sleeping. His doctor impulses flew into high alert and he reached a hand out to lay on her forehead. Cool. His hand slid down to her cheek and the motion jostled her awake.

Emma's eyes opened wide and she sucked in air. Her hand rose and batted the one on her cheek as the head looming in front of her showed no face of its own.

"Emma," he called, still leaning over the back of the couch, "It's ok. It's me. It's Hank."

She heard the words but it wasn't until he said his name that his face came into focus and she relaxed her features.

"Hank," she said sitting up, "I'm sorry."

"It's OK," he said, moving around to sit next to her on the couch. "Bad dream?"

"No," she said. "You just surprised me."

"Ok," he watched her struggle to calm herself. "You're ok, Emma." He reached out to put a hand on her shoulder to steady her.

"I know. I'm ok," she said it more to reassure herself than him.

"Emma. I didn't know you were coming today. Why didn't you call? Or text?"

"I kind of decided on it on the spur of the moment and just packed up and drove out here."

"Packed up? What do you mean? You're going back to school, right?"

Emma stood and walked into the kitchen. She needed some water. "Ummm . . . ," she stalled. He had risen when she had and was close behind her. "No. Actually, I'm not going back."

"I don't understand. You're not done yet. Finals are next week. You've worked so hard. You can't miss them." His speech quickened with each sentence.

She was drinking her water, taking much longer than necessary. Putting this conversation off for as long as possible. Clearly impatient, he reached out and gently took the glass from her.

"Emma, talk to me." She walked back into the living room and gathered her things.

"Hank, please, everything's going to be fine. I'll email all of my professors in the morning. The work can be done and submitted online. Classes are over so I don't need to be there." She turned and looked him in the eye for the first time since he walked into the house. "Now I'm so tired. Can we talk more in the morning?"

"Sure," he acquiesced. "As long as you're ok."

"I'm ok," she said and stepped closer to kiss him on the cheek. "Good night."

"Good night." He wasn't convinced.

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Hank was putting the finishing touches on the egg white and spinach omelet that he knew Emma loved when his younger brother bounced into the house.

"Morning," Evan yelled dropping his things on the table.

"Good morning," Hank answered with a smile.

"Hey, is that Emma's car outside?"

"Yep," Hank said plating the food and setting it on the table. "She came in last night."

"Wait. Where's mine?" Evan said eyeing only two breakfasts.

"Didn't you eat with Paige?"

"Well, yeah, but I could always eat again."

"Evan!" Emma yelled from the stairs and ran across the room to jump into her brother's arms.

"Hey, kiddo," Evan swung her around.

Watching them, Hank tried to keep his jealousy at bay. He reminded himself that his relationship with Emma was different from the one she had with Evan, but just as strong.

"What are you doing here? I didn't expect you for another couple of weeks."

"I got tired of that place, so I packed up and took off." She turned to face Hank. "Don't worry, Hank. I already emailed my professors. They'll get back to me saying I can start my exams online tomorrow and I'll be done by the end of the week."

"Things really work that way now?"

"They really do," she grabbed a piece of toast and her bag.

"Wait," Evan said. "Where are you going?'

"To look for a summer job. Thanks for breakfast," she waved her toast in Hank's direction. "Don't worry. We have all summer to have omelets together," and she walked out the door.

Evan eyed the space that she vacated for a moment then turned to his brother. "She 'got tired of that place?' Does that make sense to you?" he asked.

"Not at all," Hank shook his head.

"So what do we do?"

Hank shrugged his shoulders. "I tried to get something out of her last night but she was too tired." He sat at the table. "I guess all we can do now is wait. Emma will talk when she is ready. At least now you can have a second breakfast," he gestured the plate across from him.

Since there was nothing further he could do regarding his sister, the tension left Evan's face, "Yeah, there is that."

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When he entered his home at the end of the day, Hank found the young co-ed seated at the kitchen counter with her laptop open in front of her. She kept a focused attention on it, ignoring his greeting, so he continued on to the refrigerator and retrieved water bottles for each of them. He twisted the cap off one and placed it beside her, then performed the same action on his. He took a long sip and watched her, trying to determine the best approach. He decided on, "Are you hungry?"

"No," she said attempting to be discreet as she wiped a tear threatening to fall down her cheek.

The gesture was not lost on him and, certain that an indirect approach would prove fruitless, he said, "Emma, what's wrong?"

Her gaze lifted to his. She saw the concern there, and hated the disappointment that would follow, "Oh, you know. I just screwed up again." She looked down and closed her laptop.

"What do you mean? What's happened?" he asked. He knew honesty was something she had struggled with in the past, and hoped that they were at a point where they could both trust each other.

"Well," she said, somewhat flippantly, "it turns out I was wrong. While all of the exams are taken online, they need to be taken in person. Prevents cheating or something like that." She stood, picked up her computer, and stuffed it into her bag. "Looks like freshman year was a big bust afterall. I'm so stupid."

Hank moved around the counter to stand in front of her. "Alright, wait a minute," he said. Removing that bag from her, he placed it on the table and rested his hands on her shoulders. The chances of her bolting were high and he didn't want to risk it. Besides, the physical contact might help calm her. "Emma, look at me." She didn't so he repeated the direction. When she gave in he continued, "First of all, you are not stupid." This distressed her enough to make her look away from him so he moved on hand up to her cheek and waited for her to refocus on him. "Do you hear me? You've come so far from that little girl who walked in here last summer. You've done an amazing job at school and I am so proud of you."

She wanted to believe him. He seemed sincere. But these kinds of accolades had been completely foreign to her before arriving in the Hamptons, and they continued to make her feel uncomfortable. Still, the smile on his lips reached all the way to his eyes. She loved him and would do anything to make him proud, so she responded with a, "Thank you," even though she was unsure.

Confident that his message was clear, Hank released her. "Now, this doesn't really seem to be a problem at all, Em. You have your dorm room for another week. Pack a bag for a few days and drive back. When finals are done, come home."

"No," she said while continuing to gather her things into her backpack. "I'm not going back."

"Why?" he asked.

She thought of a million different reasons to give him, had been thinking of them for days. But when she turned and faced him, she discovered that she couldn't lie to him again. "I don't feel safe there," she said.

Evan and Paige entered the guest house through the patio and heard the last bit of Hank and Emma's conversation. Evan said, "You don't feel safe, where?"

Eyes locked on Hank's, Emma's voice was small as she spoke. "Anywhere." She grabbed her bag, dodged between her big brothers, and raced up the stairs to her room.


	2. Chapter 2

With her earbuds in, Emma didn't realize someone was knocking until she looked up and saw Paige peering through her partially opened door. Flipping her iPod off, she jumped to her feet. "Paige!" she said as she made her way across the room and met her sister in law in a hug.

"Emma," Paige said, "it's so good to see you."

"Yeah, you, too," Emma said. They held hands and made their way back to sit on Emma's bed. "I'm sorry about leaving the room when you walked in."

"No apology is necessary. I understand. But, you know, I was thinking. Hank told Ev and me about school. There are plenty of great hotels in the city. Why don't you and I check into one near your school. You can take you exams and study, and then we can meet up and spend time together when you're done. We can go to the spa, shop, see a show, whatever you want. A girl's vaca. What do you say?"

It sounded like heaven to Emma, but, as usual, she was worried. "It sound great. But it sounds expensive."

"Oh! My treat," Paige said. "I forgot to mention that part."

"No, I can't have you pay for all that."

"Alright, how about you pay for what you can and I'll cover the rest?"

Emma was getting excited. She didn't want to miss her finals, essentially throwing away this past semester of school. And she never had enough time to spend with Paige. "Ok, If we skip the spa. That's way too much money."

"Hmmmm . . . throw in a mani/pedi and you have a deal."

Emma laughed, "Deal!" she said and the sisters hugged again.

RPRPRPRPRP

Paige and Emma walked down the stairs after finalizing their plans to find the worried faces of the two brothers. The air felt heavy, so Paige kept things light. "Everything is all set. We leave Monday afternoon to get settled so Emma can take her exams on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. We'll be home Thursday night." She walked to her husband and fell into place inside his open arm.

Emma felt scrutinized, "I'm sorry about earlier, guys. I was just panicked about school. Everything is fine."

"Oh, I don't think so," Evan said.

Hank added, "It's pretty clear that there is something else going on, Emma."

"You don't feel safe anywhere? Emma, what happened?"

"Nothing happened," she said. When they looked at her disbelievingly, she continued, "Please, guys, I don't want to lie to you-"

"Then don't," Evan said. He felt his wife tense warningly in his arms.

"I'm not going to, Evan. But I need you to give me some space on this one. Nothing bad has happened. I'm just going through something right now and I need you to be patient." She looked between her brother. "Please?"

"Ok," Hand said with his signature grin.

"Not ok," Evan added.

Hank turned to his younger brother, "Evan, it is ok. We will give Emma some space to work things out, but we'll be here for her when she needs us. Ok?" He looked imploringly at Evan.

"Alright," Evan agreed. This produced smiles all around. Emma moved towards her family who were all pulling her into a group hug. "But I want it noted somewhere that I don't like this."

"Duly noted," Hank said.

Emma laughed. She loved her brothers and Paige. And she knew she would need all of them if she was going to get through this ordeal.

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By Thursday morning, all but one of Emma's exams had been completed. Her last test in General Psychology wasn't scheduled until ten o'clock, but Emma found herself wide awake at seven, reviewing one last time. Actually, she should have been reviewing, but was thinking about the last couple of days spent in the city with Paige. She had a wonderful time. They had shopped and eaten out, and even had their mani/pedis at the hotel spa. Emma felt comfortable with her relationship with Paige. They had always shared an easy going banter, but Emma knew that Paige's standards for all aspects of her life were high. Like her brothers, Emma would never want to let Paige down. This past year with the three of them in her life had been such a turn around from her previous life, when no one had any expectations of her. She thrived on the security that her new family brought her, but it caused anxiety as well. She felt on edge much of the time, like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Hank in particular seemed to pick up on this anxiety and frequently tried to reassure her that nothing she could ever do would make them turn their backs on her. Still, she worried.

These thoughts were interrupted by the sound on Paige's voice as she talked on the phone in the next room. It was clear by the tone and cadence that she was speaking to Evan. While she couldn't make out the words, Emma focused her mind on listening. She loved being witness to the relationship Paige and Evan shared. There had been no example of a healthy partnership while she was growing up with her mother. Then, men came and went and she usually experienced extreme highs and debilitating lows. Steady and comfortable described her brother's bond with his wife, and she loved it.

Paige finished her phone call and entered the main room of the suite, knocking Emma out of her reverie. "Good morning," she said.

"Hi, Paige," Emma pulled her legs out from under her and stretched.

"Are you ready for your final final?"

"Yeah. I think so. It should be easy."

"Ready to head home afterwards?"

"I am," she said. "I mean, I had a fantastic time, and I so appreciate you coming here with me."

"I had fun to. And I hope I helped you feel a little safe." Paige was also hoping that her sister-in-law would open up to her at some point during their mini get-away, but so far she had not.

Emma hesitated for a moment, unsure how much information she was ready to divulge. Deciding to hold things close for a bit longer, she said, "You did. Thanks."

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It was about a week later when Hank entered the guest house in the early morning hours after tending to a patient in the hospital. He didn't expect to find Emma awake, but awake she was, in the dark living room with the TV once again on mute. She seemed alert for the hour.

"Hey!" Hank said as he dropped his bag and went to the kitchen for a drink.

"Hey," Emma said.

After getting his beverage, he returned and sat on the adjacent loveseat. "Ya know, I think I'm supposed to be staying up late waiting for _you_ to get home."

She smiled across at him. "Most of my friends haven't returned for the summer yet. I'm sure there are many sleepless nights ahead for you. Don't worry."

"Oh, good, cuz, yeah, I was starting to worry about getting too much sleep." Hank took a long sip of his water and contemplated the coed in front of him. Something had been off since the last time he came home to find her on the couch, and it hadn't improved. He had given her space and time, they all had, but his patience was wearing thin. After a few moments of him looking at her, and her looking at the silent TV, he attempted to broach the subject. "The volume on that goes up. Then you can actually hear what people are saying."

"Funny!" Emma responded, but didn't turn her attention away from the show. She gathered what her brother was trying to do and felt frozen, trying to look calm.

"Why do you watch it with the sound off?"

A direct question, she hated when her brothers asked her one of those. Her vow of honesty to them was something she took seriously. "I like to keep it down when I'm alone. So I can hear if someone comes in."

Hank got a bite and wasn't going to let go. He leaned forward in his seat. "So you're still scared." When she didn't reply he reached for the remote and flicked the TV off. It lowered into its case before he continued. "Emma, you're safe here."

She waited a beat, then turned to look at him. "I know," she said. When he didn't respond to that with anything more than an intense stare, she continued. "I just don't like people coming up behind me. I'd rather hear them coming. You know, so I don't jump."

Hank took on the role of protector when he and his brother were young, and easily slipped into that role whenever it was needed. It was needed now. "No one is going to hurt you."

This conversation was becoming too difficult for Emma to handle. She rose saying, "I know." Unfortunately, he rose with her.

"Emma, it's time for you to tell me what has been going on." He didn't want his voice to sound as angry as it did. The irony of his trying to scare her out of being scared crossed his mind and he tried to soften his face. He failed.

"No!" she said. "It's not!" She ran up to her room and slammed the door. It was childish, she knew, but she needed to make her point.

When Hank returned from his run on the beach the next morning, Evan was drinking coffee and preparing for the staff meeting. The others hadn't arrived and Emma was not present. "Hey, Evan," he said, walking to the kitchen for some juice.

"Hey."

"Have you seen Emma?"

"No, but here car wasn't here when I got here, so I figured she left." When Hank didn't respond, he continued. "Everything ok there?"

"Yeah," he said. He looked around casually for a note, not really expecting one but hoping nonetheless. "We kind of got into it last night."

"What? Why? I thought you said to wait her out."

"I did. But she was acting too strangely and I was tired of waiting."

"Strange how?" Evan asked. He listened as Hank relayed the conversation from the previous night. "Someone has hurt her."

Hank said, "I know." They had both known, all known, for some time, but this was the first time anyone dared to voice it.

"So what do we do?" he asked his big brother.

"I don't know." Sometimes being the big brother was hard.

Author's Note: Thanks for reading. I would love to know what you think.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Emma may be a little ooc, but since she received so little screen time, I find it hard to hear her voice. Thank you to the readers and reviewers. I find you very encouraging.**

Emma made sure to rise and leave the house before encountering Hank. She was still annoyed with him for pestering her. The annoyance spread to everyone. Why couldn't they leave her alone? She told them she would figure things out for herself. She drove the car a few miles to a beach that she knew Hank wouldn't be running on and sat in the sand to ruminate. After allowing time to feel sorry for herself, Emma ponder her next move. She returned to the Hamptons because she loved it, especially in the summer, and she loved her new found family. They were good people who did good things for others and that made her proud. They accepted her when they didn't have to, when she gave them many reasons not to. She wanted to be with them. They might be able to make her a better person, too.

The waitressing job she procured at Chewy's would keep her in money through the summer. But what was she going to do after that? Returning to school in the city was out of the question. She never wanted to go back there, but she did want to continue her studies. Psychology was the field she was leaning towards and she laughed out loud at the irony. She was likely in need of psychological help herself. Luckily, the beach was sparse at this early hour.

Moving back with her mom was another option, but she only allowed the thought to flit across her mind before denouncing it. She was never going back there either. Growing a relationship with her father was also a priority for hers, but that could happen anywhere. Eddie was always traveling around from one destination to another. He would find time for her wherever she settled. Of course, the Hamptons was the place he frequented the most, what with two of his children and his current love, , living here. The only option that made sense to her was to stay here and go to college on Long Island, close to the only people she wanted to be with.

A family walked towards her on the beach and stopped a respectful distance away to set up their camp. Emma turned her attention to them. They were obviously planning on spending the day and had arrived so early to snag the perfect spot. The mom spread a blanket, while the dad began assembling some sort of play pen for the baby, who was calling from a stroller. The three older kids took off for the water the moment they arrived, ignoring the shouts from their mother to come back for sunscreen. She started to get annoyed that they were not obeying her, so the dad halted his preparations and ran towards the water, arms flailing, roaring like a monster. The kids squealed as soon as they saw him start after them and tried in vain to get away. They shrieked in delight when he splashed in the water and threw himself into the waves. He then successfully corralled them up the beach to the mom who was laughing at their collective antics, and waiting with the sunscreen. Emma caught herself laughing along with them at the scene that had never been a part of her life. She was jealous of those kids. They had parents who were together and cared enough to take time to spend the day with them. And they had each other.

Emma might not have what they had, but she did have her brothers. They loved her and were interested in her well-being, and she was going to blow it all if she kept pushing them away. Standing, she brushed the sand off herself and hurried back to her car. It was time for her to talk to her brothers.

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Emma drove home from the beach with the top down on her convertible and the air whipping through her hair. She inhaled deeply and pressed her foot down on the gas a bit. As she accelerated around the bend she felt herself relax for the first time in a while. She rode the wave of the adrenaline rush and all of her worries escaped her as her mind became blank. The only focus was on breathing in and out the salty air. The road was endless in front of her and the thought that she could drive forever crossed her mind. But she turned and made her way down the long drive of Shadow Pond. She didn't want this to end, this carefree feeling, the lightheadedness she experienced. She had been so tense for so long and now that a plan had begun to form, that tension eased. Now, while she was driving 60 miles per hour down the narrow driveway of the richest man she had ever met. The perfect temperature, perfect wind, perfect sky, heading towards the perfect conversation with her brothers. For this brief moment, it was all perfect. But the feeling was fleeting. She knew that. Knew it when she first headed home, knew it as she turned down that driveway, knew it as she had tilted her head back too far for too long. Her sense of calm was always fleeting. No good feeling ever lasted for Emma. It was all going to end. And then it did.

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Evan eyed his brother throughout the staff meeting. The others probably didn't notice, but years of practice made him well in tuned to Hank's moods, and the anxiety oozing off of him was palpable. He ran the meeting without thinking about it as Hankmed had become something he could manage in his sleep, but he taxed his brain to the limit trying to think of a solution to the problem known as Emma. She had always been a problem, in one form or another, since her first arrival at the Hamptons. It seemed as soon as one dilemma resolved, another cropped up with her. He wondered if he had been this difficult at that age. He knew he was, but with different issues. He knew the worry he caused Hank during those years. Now he felt guilty. He had to find a way to help Emma, but not have Hank shoulder all the burden, as he had done for him. What was it that they said about payback? Or would it be karma in this situation?

Evan never had a chance to answer his question as the sudden screech of tires put all the occupants of the guest house on high alert. Time seemed to freeze as they waited for the tires to halt. And halt they did in one magnificent cacophony of clanging metal.

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The occupants of the guest house all rushed to the scene in the driveway, Hank and Evan rushing to the Saab that carried their sister, and Dr. Sacani and Divya rushing to the aid of the delivery truck driver. Emma had managed to get her door open, or perhaps it had fallen open, but was tumbling out of the seat as her brothers arrived.

"Emma!" Evan yelled.

Hank reached her first and guided her to the ground, "Easy, Emma, take it easy." Her eyes were wild with the pupils dilated and the fear unmistakeable.

She didn't want to be lying on the ground, but it seemed she had no choice. Try as she might to get up, neither her body nor her brother would allow it. She attempted to slow her breathing, but it felt as if no air was getting in. Hands were grabbing at her and she wanted them to stop. She pushed at them and attempted to twist her body in an effort to escape the groping, prodding hands. The word, "No!" screamed from her lungs, but it surprised and scared her when it sounded like a whisper. She exerted herself three more times, both at voicing her dislike and physically breaking free from the hands that were not letting go of her.

"Emma!" Hank screamed at his sister, but her eyes would not focus on him.

"Oh, my God," Evan muttered. Pushing his fear aside, he called 911.

Holding his sister's body as still as he could with his own body, Hank placed his hands on either side of her face and yelled her name again. "Emma!" The sharpness of his voice brought her movements to a halt and her eyes focused on him as he saw that she recognized him. Her hands, now on his wrists, were trembling, and her skin was cold to the touch and pale. Shock was setting in and he didn't have much time. "Emma, you're going to be ok, but you're hurt and I have to examine you. Do you understand?"

She nodded her head slightly. "Please," she said. "Please don't tie me down. Please. Don't let anyone tie me down."

"Oh my God," Evan muttered again.

Hank ignored the dread he was feeling and focused on his patient. "No one is going to tie you down, but you have to stay still so I can examine you."

"I can't," she said, although it came out as a sob.

"Evan will hold you hand." Evan took his cue, fell to the ground beside his siblings, and grabbed Emma's hand.

"Both of them," Hank instructed Evan as he started moving his own hands down her body. "Talk to her. And don't let go." He wouldn't be able to calm Evan's fears at this time. That would have to wait. But he needed Evan to calm Emma's.

Evan did as he was told and recited every soothing phrase he had ever heard to his baby sister.

Hank's hands stopped their trail abruptly when they reached her left side. He pushed and prodded for a bit hoping he wasn't feeling what he knew he was feeling.

Dr. Sacani was still attending to the driver, whose injuries were minor in comparison, so Divya rushed to Hank's side to assist. "What is it?" she asked.

"It's her spleen. It's ruptured."

Evan asked, "What does that mean?"

"It means she's bleeding internally. A lot. She needs to get to the hospital." The sirens could be heard closing in on them.

"Well, do something!" Evan said. "Fix it!"

"I can't perform major surgery on Boris' driveway or she'll bleed out. We have to wait for the ambulance," he said, his mind running through everything he knew about splenectomies. "But we can start a line and get a drip going." he fumbled through the medical bag that Divya had dropped next to him. "It will speed things up when we get to the hospital."

When Emma saw what Hank was trying to do, she let go a long moan and worked futily at escaping her brothers' clutches. "Nooooo."

"Divya," Hank said. "Get me a sedative." When she did, he quickly administered it to Emma's left arm. "There you go, Emma. You don't need to deal with any of this right now." And she slept.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I've been sitting on this chapter for weeks now, hoping it was right, and I decided to just post it and see what happens. It's shorter than the previous chapters, but it felt like it needed break here. Hope you like it. Please review.**

Only blackness was in front of her and the silence hurt. She had never experienced such a deepness in what she couldn't see and couldn't hear. This level of nothingness should have scared her, but she was calm. The first sensation that slipped into her consciousness was in her breath. She inhaled deeply, filling her lungs to the brink. The tipping point, from inhale to exhale, was the moment when she started to panic. She tried to expel the air she had taken in, but her lungs begged for more. She inhaled again, noticing that she couldn't quite get enough. Auditory awareness crept in as beeping noises were heard and a garbled sound erupted from her chest. Or was that her throat?

"It's ok, Emma," a voice said. "We're taking your tube out."

She couldn't make her eyes open but the voice was clear and the tightness in her throat overwhelmed. She was sure her insides were being ripped out through her mouth. Emma wanted to fight against this new monster, but she felt paralyzed.

"Don't fight us, Emma," the voice said as it read her mind. "Ok this is it. When I say 'now' I wanted you to cough louder than you ever have before. Ok?"

Emma tried to convey understanding. She hoped she had.

"Now!"

Gathering all of her strength Emma let out the most forceful cough that she could. It sounded like a mouse squeak. Before she could feel disappointed the voice returned, "Good job, Emma You did it. Now go back to sleep. Everything's going to be alright."

So she slept.

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The next time Emma woke, a sense of calm was present. She took in a breath before opening her eyes, and noticed an oxygen mask had replaced the tube. The room was devoid of all but Hank who reclined awkwardly in the standard hospital chair beside her. His eyes were closed and she took a moment to study him. While resting, the tension showed in the crinkles around his eyes. Even in sleep he worried. She moved the mask off her face and shifted to find a more comfortable position, but the movement was sufficient enough to awaken him. He rose and looked from her eyes, to the monitors, and back again. When all was determined well, he positioned the mask back over her mouth and spoke, "Emma."

"Hi," she said, surprised by both the softness of her voice and the annoyance it caused her throat. Removing the mask once again, she cleared her throat and repeated her salutation.

Hank handed her a cup of water which he poured from the bubblegum pink plastic pitcher. "Here," he said. "You were intubated. The soreness won't last long."

The water, though only room temperature, coated and quenched and she greedily took it all in. Another deep breath followed.

"Better?" he asked.

"I think so," she said, trying out her voice again. "Yes."

"How's your pain?" He pulled out a stethoscope, seemingly from thin air.

Emma held her hand out to block him. "Can you please not do that now?" she asked. "I'm ok. I'm not in pain and I think the monitors will let us know if something is wrong." He lowered the instrument but didn't put it down. They considered each other for a moment and she tried to clear the cobwebs from her mind. "What happened?" she asked.

"You were in an accident. They had to remove your spleen," he said. "The surgery went well. You'll make a complete recovery."

"Did you take it out?"

He smiled at her, "No, I left that to the surgeon. But I watched from the observation room. Don't worry. He did it right."

Emma appreciated his humor, but didn't have the strength yet to show it. "I want to go home."

"I know," he said. He pulled the chair closer to her bed and perched on the edge of it. "You need to stay here a little longer. If things continue to go well, maybe I'll take you home tomorrow. Even then you're not going to feel one hundred percent for a couple of weeks."

"What happened? Am I in trouble? Was anyone else hurt?" she started to panic. "I can't really remember."

"Shhhh . . ." Hank tried to soothe her by rubbing her arm. "You collided with a delivery truck. The driver had minor injuries and is fine. Boris took care of everything. You're not in any trouble with the law. But you were driving so fast. Why?"

"I don't know," she did feel calmer. "I was trying to get home to talk to you and Evan. I decided to just . . . talk to the two of you. I was feeling good. It was stupid. Wait, I just started waitressing again. . ."

"Paige called your boss and explained everything. You can go back when you're recovered. Everything's going to be fine," he tried to assure her.

Emma's eyes moistened and her mind raced, "But the money I'll miss out on . . ."

"Stop." he said.

"Ok," she said, closing her eyes. Her head was too confused to continue in that manner anyway. She kept them shut as she switched topics. "Did you call my mother?" When he didn't respond, she knew. "She's not coming, is she?" His hand cover hers.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"It's ok. I don't want her here anyways. She was never a very good caretaker. Or protector." She opened her eyes and met his.

Hank offered a small smile. "I figured that," he said. "Maybe it's time for us to talk about it."

Emma moved her gaze to the ceiling. Maybe it was time. Her condition and whatever medication she was on was making her vulnerable, but perhaps that was a good thing. Her story could be told while her defenses were down and that somehow made it easier for her. "She never hurt me. She just couldn't seem to stop others from hurting me. There were always men around. Sometimes the same one would stay for months, sometimes just a couple of days. The nice ones ignored me." Turning to look at him, she quickly added, "Most of them were nice." He started to rub the hand he was holding. She hoped he believed her. It was clear from his clenched jaw that he didn't like what she was saying. A slight nod of his head encouraged her to continue. "The others would hit me."

Hank took that moment to interrupt, "And one of them tied you up."

Emma's pupils dilated and she flashed back to the scene of the accident. Hank leaning over her, her begging him not to let anyone tie her up. "Well, actually, he would tie me down. On the bed. He didn't do anything bad to me, just wanted me out of his way."

"I would say tying you to a bed was pretty bad," Hank added, understanding that she was implying nothing sexual happened, but not wanting her to minimalize her ordeal.

"It happened a couple of times before my mother realized what he was doing and kicked him out. We never really talked about it again and I guess I kind of forgot about it."

"So something happened at school to trigger this memory," Hank said. Emma nodded and closed her eyes. They fluttered back open for a moment but shut again. "You need to rest," he added. "You're safe. I'll be here when you wake up." Letting the stethoscope finally down on the table, he stood and kissed her on the forehead as she quickly succumbed to sleep. He repositioned the oxygen mask over her mouth, then walked to the window and altered between imagining what had happened to his little sister and trying to determine the best way to help her.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: I don't think anyone is reading in this fandom anymore, but it's summertime and I've been rewatching the whole series on Netflix. Man, I miss this show! I decided to go ahead and finish this story. Hope you like it!**

Emma walked gingerly down the stairs of the guesthouse, her right arm wrapped around her left side. A pause before reaching the bottom stair allowed for time to inhale a couple of deep breaths and let them out before stepping into the living room, in full view of whomever may have already gathered for the daily staff meeting of the HankMed employees. Only a couple of days had passed since her hospital release, and she was getting better, but she was tired of being questioned and poked and prodded. She was impatient with her recovery and yearned for a return to some semblance of a normal life.

The final descent to the lower level revealed an almost empty room. Only Hank stood in the kitchen retrieving items from the refrigerator. He turned and saw her, slightly pale and slightly leaning. She was trying to hide her pain, so he resisted the urge to run to her. Plastering a smile on his face he said, "Good morning, Emma."

"Hey," was her only response as she made her way to sit at the counter and watch him work.

He cracked and separated one egg after another and asked, "How's your pain today?"

"Not bad." Emma reached for the carafe of orange juice positioned on the counter and poured herself a glass. Her intention was to take a sip, but when the cool sweetness hit the back of her throat, she hastily took in half the glass.

"Do you want some medication?"

"No," she said.

Her annoyance with this topic didn't escape him so he was willing to tread lightly, but he wasn't ready to stop treading altogether. "Remember what we talked about? About the pain?"

"Yes, I remember. 'Stay on top of the pain.' But I'm sick of the pills. I can't stand how they make me feel all loopy and out of it."

"Ok," he said, scrambling the eggs whites. "How about you take a couple of Advil and we see how that goes?"

She exhaled audibly, "Ok."

Evan walked into the house as Emma swallowed the tablets. "Good morning, siblings," he said.

"Where is everyone?" Emma asked. "Don't you have a meeting this morning?"

"Actually, no," Hand said. "It's just us today." He handed them each a plate of breakfast.

"You know," Evan said, "there's nothing wrong with eating the yolks. The surgeon general said so." His comment was met with a smirk from his brother.

"Emma doesn't like yolk. Just be happy I made you something."

Emma pushed some food around with her fork. "Why is it just us?" she asked.

"We want to talk to you," Hank said.

She put her fork down. "I don't want to talk. We've done enough talking."

Deciding to get right down to business, Evan said, "Dad's coming home. He'll be here tonight."

If her stomach wasn't queasy before this conversation started, it was now. She felt the heat race through her body as her brothers studied her. "What does he know?" she asked.

Hank hurried to answer. "He just knows about the accident and your injuries. He doesn't know anything else."

Evan said, "We won't tell him - or anyone - your story. That's yours to tell."

She calmed a little, "What about Paige?"

"She doesn't know."

Emma nodded and picked up her fork. She returned to moving food around her plate. She might want Paige to know, but her father's arrival was the more pressing issue. "Dad can't know. I mean, it will only hurt him. He'll feel guilty. I don't want that."

'You might need his support though," Hank said. "He can handle the guilt in order to help you."

Emma thought for a moment. "No. I have the two of you for support." She turned to Evan, "and I'd like to tell Paige, if that's alright with you."

"Of course it is," he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "She'd love to help you."

"Alright," Hank said, "but you know you can change your mind and tell dad anytime you want."

Emma relaxed and took a bite of food. "Ok," she said, "good. Talk over?"

"Not quite," said Evan. "You withdrew from school."

Her face paled. "How do you know that?"

"I've been taking care of your paperwork. They send that kind of stuff to me."

"Oh, yeah," she said. No longer interested in eating, or in this conversation, she rose from her stool at the counter. She wanted to run away, but her body ached and was not as quick as her mind. Her brothers stayed where they were, allowing a bit of a breather. She settled on the couch. Not facing them make it easier for her to talk. "There was this guy at school," she said.

"I'll kill him!" Evan stood but Hank's hand on his arm prevented him from rushing towards his kid sister.

"Evan, relax," Hank said. "Keep going, Emma."

"Nothing bad happened. I liked him. He liked me. But when things started . . . moving along," she stopped talking and tried to keep her emotions from careening all over the place. Still facing away from them, she covered her eyes with her hand, took a couple of exaggerated breaths and leaned her head against the back of the couch before continuing, "I started to think about things that I hadn't thought about in a long time. I tried not to, but the harder I tried the worse the memories got, until they were invading my whole day. There were just s o many people, so close to me, all the time. When I couldn't take it anymore, I packed up and left."

Hank left Evan sitting at the counter and joined his sister on the couch. Putting a hand on her knee he said, "Look at me." She lowered her hand from her eyes and obeyed. "It doesn't have to be like that. You can work through this."

"Well, if that's true - and I'm not convinced it is - I want to work on it here. I don't want to be in the city anymore. There's a program at Hofstra University, here on the island, that I'm trying to get accepted to. I should be able to, and hopefully my financial aid package will transfer." She looked over at Evan who walked towards his siblings. "That's my plan, anyway."

Evan shook his head. "Why do you keep doing things by yourself? We could have helped you with all of this."

"Evan, I'm trying. Please be more patient with me. I've got a lot going on," she said.

"We know, Emma," Hank said. "Just try not to shut us out completely. Okay?"

She nodded. She wiped at a couple of tears that had escaped as the front door burst open. They all turned to see Eddie R. Lawson.

"Dad," Evan said. "I thought you were coming in tonight."

"Are you kidding me? I heard that my baby girl was hurt and I went right to the airport and demanded they get me on the first flight to the Hamptons." He walked toward them as Hank helped Emma to her feet, and opened his arms wide enough for all three of his children to fit in them. "Alright now," he said, "Dad's here to take care of everything."

 **Thanks for reading, and be sure to let me know what you thought of it.**


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